The recent statement credited to Rt. Hon Chibuike Ameachi, the honourable Minister of Transport and former Governor of River state, he and his Ikwerre people are Igbo didn’t go down well with some groups in the Niger Delta, oyogist.com reports.
One of such group is The BRACED Union, an umbrella body of Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa-Ibom, Cross River, Edo, and Delta States led by High Chief Monday Wehere, released a statement signed by Comrade Patrick Ochei, the group’s Director of Media.
The statement accused Chibuike Ameachi of just throwing tantrums to score cheap political goals. The group insisted that Ikwerre is not Igbo, and that Chibuike Ameachi has no “Lucus Standi” to speak on behalf of the Ikwerre or the Niger Delta people no matter his level in Nigeria politics.
The statement said “So to now claim that the Ikwerres are Igbos because of communal proximity and mix-up is an aberration. As an Ikwerre man, that statement was least expected from Rotimi Amaechi who should know better where the Ikwerre man stands in terms of origin and root. But in case he doesn’t know or pretends not to know, he should consult history gurus from Ikwerre rather than throwing up political tantrums to score a cheap one”.
The group went ahead to say that they are the legitimate mouthpiece of the Niger Delta, therefore no one can just wake up and place its people where they don’t belong.
“We cannot be hoodwinked by political gimmicks. We know who we are, and we are resolute in achieving our own identity independently”, The statement said.
